The fall season brings to mind certain memories. For some, it’s the smell of falling leaves and the crisp air. For others, it’s geese flying overhead getting ready to migrate south. However, for the dairy industry, fall has an entirely different set of sights and smells. Grilled cheese sandwiches with butter, fresh tanbark shavings, the buzz of numerous languages being spoken in one location, lines of schoolchildren, friends from across the country seen only once a year. Unmistakably, World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

Everyone knows about the world-renowned cattle show, and the largest dairy-focused trade show in the world, even the signature sandwich. But what about a gift to take home? Enter the Purple Cow Gift Shop.

Located in the Exhibition Hall, the “Purple Cow” has arguably the best location on the grounds. And rightfully so. In just five days, this “little” gift shop will gross more than $200,000 on more than 15,000 items. So – who is leading the charge?

Meet Annette Ziegler. She’s the accounting manager for World Dairy Expo, Inc. During the show, she assumes the role of Purple Cow Gift Shop manager and is the mastermind behind its success.

Ziegler will be the first to say, however, that she doesn’t work alone. “I have a team of about 50 volunteers. Some have been working in the Purple Cow for 40 years,” she says.

Originally, the Purple Cow was completely volunteer-run. “The ladies asked me to help because at the time I had four children at home, and they thought that I might have ideas that would appeal to moms and younger customers,” Ziegler says. “Now, I’m a grandma.”

But don’t let this grandma fool you. In her free time, she’s an avid runner. In fact, she’s running the Chicago Marathon the week after the expo.

“This year, I had to hire someone to help manage the Purple Cow instead of relying completely on volunteers. I need to make sure I get my runs in before the show starts each morning,” she says.

It’s quite fitting that someone with the discipline and organizational skills to train for a marathon is involved with the expo retail giant.

“We start in February and March looking for new items and meeting with vendors,” she says. “We try to keep items fresh and follow trends.”

New this year, the Purple Cow will have lots of “bling” to appeal to the ladies. Hats, shirts and vests will add a little sparkle to the expo. There is also a new sleepwear line and more items from the popular “Jersey Girls” housewares line featuring Jersey cows.

“Items with breeds other than Holstein tend to do really well,” Ziegler says. “We carry the traditional black-and-white cow merchandise, and we like to represent other dairy breeds to appeal to a broader audience.”

Speaking of best-sellers, Ziegler notes that small, World Dairy Expo-branded items are very popular with international attendees.

“We will have customers buy 25 hats or key chains – anything small that they can take on the plane and give to family and friends at home,” she says.

In all, there are close to 8,000 items with the World Dairy Expo imprint sold every year.

“It’s not just about sales; we want to get the World Dairy Expo name out there,” she says.

And it gets way out there.

“I love seeing pictures from around the world that feature people in their home countries wearing clothing from the expo,” she says. “My favorite was a picture on Facebook with a man from South America and his baby in a World Dairy Expo shirt.”

There isn’t a mathematical equation to help predict what will sell; Ziegler and her team use good old experience to determine their inventory.

“If it’s too hot, the sweatshirts don’t sell; if it’s too cold, the T-shirts don’t sell,” she explains. “But if we are really lucky (like we were last year), it’s hot in the beginning of the week and cold at the end of the week; then everything sells.”

What started as a group of volunteers selling crafts and a few T-shirts has become part of the expo appeal and tradition.

“In the beginning, we had a little cash drawer in the back of the booth. Now we have several registers and accept credit cards, but we still remember our regular customers,” she says.

There are many things that change at World Dairy Expo – especially this year with the New Holland Pavilion – but the Purple Cow Gift Shop remains constant, albeit on a larger scale.

As summer turns to fall in the dairy industry, all roads lead to Madison and World Dairy Expo. While there, make sure to stop in and see Annette Ziegler and the rest of the Purple Cow crew.

“It’s been fun to watch it grow, and the people grow with it. It’s like a family,” Ziegler says. PD

Maria F. McGinnis is a freelance writer based in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

PHOTOS
PHOTO ONE: Annette Ziegler serves as the World Dairy Expo accounting manager, and she’s also the mastermind behind the Purple Cow Gift Shop.

PHOTO TWO: A new sleepwear line will be a hit with hard-working dairy families who know the true meaning of “udderly exhausted!”

PHOTO THREE: Clothing and collectables will feature the “Designer Dairy” theme for 2014.

PHOTO FOUR: Apparel for the whole family including cow-themed clothes for babies and kids. Photos courtesy of World Dairy Expo, Inc.